


In This Moment, Someone I Love

by sorasan0000



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Bad Matchmaking, F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-31
Updated: 2018-05-31
Packaged: 2019-05-16 10:07:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14809256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sorasan0000/pseuds/sorasan0000
Summary: Kija gets the impression that Jaeha and Tetora would make a good pair and tries some of his granny's old tactics to let them get closer. Sufficeth to say that it doesn't pan out as he originally intended.





	In This Moment, Someone I Love

“And then he blushed and said, ‘I’m embarrassed that I haven’t bathed yet,’ and I was just-“

“Pfff ha ha ha—Oh, oops!”

Kija slowly opened his eyes to see the fire still burning outside of the tent. He awoke to the hushed conversation that was going on around it. The one that was on look-out duty that night was Jaeha, but it seemed that one of the women in their group accompanied him. It sounded like Tetora. He turned onto his back and tuned in.

“But all the antics aside, I learned something that day. There was more going on than ‘blind duty’. There still is, and that’s not a bad thing. I just worry sometimes.” Jaeha’s tone was solemn and contemplative. Kija wondered what he was talking about.

“It sounds complicated.” A moment of silence before her voice cracked. “I wonder if I should just let it go then…” Tetora trailed off and nothing else was said. Kija propped himself up using his elbows and looked in their direction. His heart thumped and he felt an urge to get up and ask what had her upset at this time of the night.

“It’ll be enough, I assure you,” Jaeha softly muttered, his shadow silhouette shown to be merging with Tetora’s through the dim light of the tent.  

Kija felt his eyes droop and slowly close, the fight to keep them open clearly a losing one. He still didn’t know what they were discussing, but seeing that outline made his chest feel heavy for reasons he couldn’t quite pinpoint. He settled back down and turned onto his side, facing away from the site. He let the warm darkness take him and he didn’t hear another word.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the moment he awoke, Kija began remembering the little hints the two displayed. From laughing at the same jokes together to being the main bearers of the alcohol on nights of celebration, Jaeha and Tetora seemed like a match made to be. Perhaps they were always like that and he was simply oblivious.

“Kija, could you help me with something?” Tetora asked. She was suddenly standing in front of him and he hadn’t even noticed.

“Of course,” he said without a second thought, nearly fumbling over his words.

She smiled and pointed toward an apple tree, asking him if he could swipe a few to make an afternoon snack. The branches were too high for any normal person to reach from what he could tell. Surely Jaeha would be a more suitable person for the job, but seeing as he wasn’t around he puffed up and extended his claws and carefully shook the branches until Tetora told him it was enough. She smiled and thanked him, causing his heart to race and his face to turn red.

He scampered away to a nearby stream and dunked his head. He held still for several seconds before coming up for air. Remembering her smile, her laugh, her beautiful and brilliant eyes, her hair as it swayed in the wind, her small hands that could in the very next swing break a log in half—it was too much. He dunked his head again.

_No. Don’t go there, Kija._

He sat and began thinking about how to help them become even closer, but he didn’t know a thing about how to advance romance. He couldn’t take his own experiences into account for something like this. He would need to draw upon the tips and advice of another: his granny.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He remembered some of the things she tried. The experiences ranged depending on how many suitors he had gone through. The latter experiences were absolutely off limits, but some of the earlier ones weren’t bad.

First, he needed to have them describe what they liked so they knew whether they were a good match or not. Kija already knew this, but perhaps they needed a bit of a boost. When he found the perfect chance, Tetora sitting quietly under a tree, he put his plan into action.

“Tetora, do you mind if I join you?” he asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.

She jumped and stuttered at the sudden question, her face turning red and her smile becoming bigger, her radiance glowing lighter. He closed his eyes shut and begged for his mind to stop putting such silly filters on.

“Of course. Please sit,” she chirped as she motioned for him to sit next to her. She softly laughed as he sat stiffly as if he were strictly on business. Technically he was, but his body wasn’t allowing him to relax at all.

He began. “The three of you have been traveling with us for a few months now, but I realized that I didn’t know you as well as I should. So I just thought I would…” he trailed off, not really knowing what to say.

“What would you like to know?”

 He reeled in his mind about the kind of things his granny had suggested. Favorite food. Favorite dance. An easy sleeper? Favorite type of personality? Things that irritated her? He didn’t know where to start or how quickly to go, but he had to start somewhere.

“Do you like training?”

She put her finger to her lips and slouched back against the tree. “When I have a lot of pent-up stress, it helps. Plus I need to stay sharp to protect Lady Lili when the times arise. So sure, I suppose I like it to some degree,” she concluded with a wink.

“You should be more open about that. Especially when Jaeha is around,” Kija stammered to say.

She tilted her head and looked confused. He had said something strange, he KNEW it. He was trying to be covert about this, so he tried to distract from the big give-away.

“I-I mean, I’m sure anybody here would be glad to help you. Jaeha just seems like he’d be the most open to it,” he asserted.

“Hmmm, I dunno,” she said doubtfully twirling a strand of her hair. “I’ve been here long enough to know you’re the one who insists on training. Plus, you fight with your hands. I think _you_ would be better,” she emphasized.

He sat still, his gaze fixated on the ground. He needed to find something else quickly. “How about your favorite food?”

“Seafood hot pot.”

“You know, Jaeha lived in Awa Port for many years. It’s possible his favorite food is seafood hot pot, too. When we visit another coast,” he paused and relaxed his hands, continuing on, “you two should eat some together.”

Tetora shifted her weight onto her side, leaning in closer to address him. “How about your favorite food?”

“Wild boar,” he unintentionally beamed before putting his hand over his mouth.

Tetora’s eyes grew wide and curious. “I’ve never tried that. I’ve never even seen a live one. I’d much rather try that!” she affirmed.

He wasn’t helping at all. He needed to try something different, and skimming his memory for more of his granny’s tips he remembered another that had failed with him but would probably work for them. “I’m going to go get a drink of water,” he fibbed.

When Tetora insisted on coming along, he assured her that he would have some brought to her. Knowing that she would be in the same spot, he quickly dashed to find Jaeha. He had no time to lose. Rarely did anyone in the group have time for themselves, let alone a romantic get-away.  Skidding to a sharp halt once Jaeha was found, nearly crashing into him in doing so, he pulled Jaeha to the side all the while trying to sound calm through his hard breathing.

“Kija, what’s going on?” Jaeha wondered.

“Tetora would like to talk to you,” Kija blurted.

“It sounds serious. Come with me,” Jaeha said as he paced in her direction.

“N-No, it’s fine. I’m just out of breath,” Kija rejected the demand, shaking his hands and head.  “Just make sure to get her a drink of water.”

Jaeha raised his brow in suspicion but didn’t question it. He quietly left, leaping in the direction where Kija had run from, without taking any water. Seeing him go made his chest feel even heavier, the sprint he had done aside. He turned to go sort his mixed emotions out when he heard footsteps coming toward him. Turning to see who it was, it was Ayura. She stood tall and straight, carrying buckets full of water in each arm. She gave him an unrecognizable look and sighed.

“I’m going to have to fight you if you hurt her.” she bluntly said.

Kija looked in confusion behind him and to his sides, but upon only seeing himself he pointed at himself with shoulders hunched.

“Or is it that her feelings are unrequited?”

Still confused, Kija wondered if she was perhaps talking to herself.

“Maybe you’re just clueless,” she remarked before setting the buckets down and filling a bottle. She capped it and held it out to Kija, gesturing for him to take it. “This isn’t for you. Go give it to her.”

“To Tetora?”

Ayura stared at him long and hard. He began sweating nervously and backed away. There was something about the atmosphere that prodded him to turn heel and go right on back, as of some invisible force wanted him to high-tail it out of there. Though he was quick to leave, he was slow in venturing back to the tree.

_Lord Hakuryuu, I must apologize._

For what, Granny?

_Things have gotten out of hand. I can see that now._

Out of hand, perhaps.

_I won’t force anything anymore. Go at your own pace._

That didn’t stop you from yelling about it the day I left. Oh, Granny.

He didn’t think about relationships very much. For as long as he could remember, he only had one desire: to serve his king. He…He and all the others, that was all there was. In his village, meeting a girl and courting her meant an eventual marriage would result. It meant he would eventually be a father. Him, the Hakuryuu, a father. He remembered the exhausted look in his mother’s eyes. The every attempt his father made to avert his eyes when they met face-to-face. The stern warning his granny gave when he tried to see him alone. The dark, sinking belief that he had killed his father himself simply by being born. His father’s final words, a desperate plea, to hold him as his powers faded into nothing. How his mother, battling her own demons, succumbed in the fight and left him as well.

“Ah, there he is.”

Kija caught sight of Jaeha and Tetora walking side by side toward him. He hitched a gasp and stopped in his tracks. That sure was a quick meeting. His hope that something had advanced for them disappeared when he saw the frown on Tetora’s face. She wistfully looked at him and then steered her glance to the ground. He felt a sting in his chest that pierced very core. Could it be that it was unsuccessful? No, that’s wasn’t right. They suited each other so well and she deserved someone worthwhile.

Just as he was about to chew out Jaeha, he was nearly knocked over by Jaeha leaping forward and wrapping his arm around his shoulders. Bringing him closer he whispered, “Nice try, Kija, but I like the thrill of the chase and I’m just not into it.” He loosened his grip and winked. “You should take it from here. I know you want to,” he trilled.

He let go and whistled as he jumped away, leaving Kija stupefied and speechless. Realizing Tetora was still there, he felt his face heat up in embarrassment. He avoided facing her, but as he heard her draw closer, he steadied his breathing and let out a sigh. “I—er—Ayura got you some water,” he awkwardly commented as he turned to her and offered the bottle.

She took it, took a sip, and then continued holding it. She finally gave him a glance, to which he quickly snapped away from. It shouldn’t have been this difficult to face her. She was a traveling companion. A compassionate, caring, beautiful companion. Someone who seemed like a warm, shining light whenever she came into his line of sight. Someone fierce and strong when faced with protecting her master, whose self-sacrifice was evident whenever she touched her left side. Someone who he believed deserved all the happiness the world could give. Someone he wanted to support, whether it was physically or emotionally.

Someone he loved.

Like at that moment.

“I must have read the atmosphere incorrectly,” he admitted.

“You thought that I had feelings for Jaeha?” She hit the nail right on the head.

“Yes,” he paused, “Well no, I suppose I just thought you two would look good together,” he muttered softly, his face turning a deeper shade of red.

_“I won’t force anything anymore. Go at your own pace.”_ He remembered those words once again and softly chuckled.

Tetora put her hands behind her back and hummed. A smile returned to her face and she closed her eyes. “I suppose it looks that way, but I get along perfectly well with him as a friend.”

Kija felt as if a weight had been lifted from him and he could breathe easier. He still felt deeply embarrassed for what he had done, but she was smiling again. He found himself smiling along with her. “I apologize for forcing that on you.”

“Apology taken. Now,” she piped up, nudging his right arm, “do you want to train? I can show you some close combat moves that you can use instead of always enlarging your claw and tiring yourself out.”

Without hesitation, Kija accepted the offer. Although before they began, he had to ask her something that had been bothering him. It was the conversation he overheard before. At that moment, he couldn’t remember the details. He was only half-awake when he eavesdropped, after all. It was that moment that led him on this flimsy match-matching path to begin with. What had her so worried then?

Tetora took a solid stance and then folded her arms, giving him a stern look. “You are a proud dragon warrior who is destined to protect Hiryuu,” she began. “You also charge into battle with full force, claw extended and swinging indiscriminately sometimes. It’s landed you in trouble on several occasions.”

He couldn’t disagree with any of it.

“You carry a great passion, but it will do neither you nor your master any good if you continue down that path,” she held her arms up in a defensive position and bent down. “It will do none of your friends any favors, either. In fact, it may endanger them more!”

Kija unraveled the bandages around his claw but left it unchanged. He was taking in her words and understood where she was going with it. She was right. It was something he had come to realize ever since they had been kidnapped in Xing. That Mizari boy may have ousted them but it was he who had utterly exposed them to allow for their imprisonment. He gave her a stern look back and left himself open for a spar.

“I don’t want to see you hurt. You’re too precious to keep risking your life like that. To Princess Yona, to Yun, to Lord Hak, to your fellow dragons—“ she lunged, aiming for his face, to which he blocked with his claw. It extended on instinct and he cursed himself. This distraction allowed for her to target his knees and he was flat on his back before he could register how he got there. She dropped to her knees and slammed her hands next to the sides of his head.

“To me!” she said with tremble in her voice.

He froze still for a few seconds, the words slowly sinking in. He sat up just as she did and grasped her hands. He didn’t know what else to do but hold them in his own. He opened his mouth to say one thing but clammed up. He remembered Jaeha warning him about overexerting himself. How his only reaction to that was that he would gladly die if it was for the princess’ sake. At the beginning of his journey, he didn’t think this mindset was so problematic, but seeing Tetora’s brow bent and her eyes gradually becoming narrower and wet, he knew it was definitely something he had to change.

“I will take better care,” he calmly assured her. He rubbed his thumbs across the tops of her hands, and then he firmly cupped them both into his own. “I promise.”

For several hours they continued practicing off and on, though having a new door opened allowed them to talk more. Kija learned that she was a normal sleeper, neither light nor deep. Disobedience and rashness irritated, so he knew why she reacted so passionately to his current problem. Her favorite dance was the water sword dance. Ayura knew how to do it. She liked people who were kind, passionate, loyal, and a little on the innocent side. With each little thing he learned, he found himself falling more.

The concern of a relationship still lingered over him, but he had never felt quite this way before. There was something different from the girls of his village, who had always treated him more as their revered deity than anything else. There was something different from the princess, who he felt a natural pulling towards, given that she was his master by blood. This was plain affection and Tetora saw him for who he was, and he in turn saw her. Just for that moment, he felt that even if things escalated one day, things would be all right.

**Author's Note:**

> This was a fulfilled prompt given by fallenwithstyle on Tumblr.


End file.
